Effect of Heavy Metals on Bacterial Attachment in Soils

Abstract

The presence of both heavy metals and bacteria is frequently reported in urban storm water runoff. Adsorption and complexation of metals onto bacteria and soil takes place as storm water runoff infiltrates into the subsurface, potentially changing both bacterial and mineral surfaces, and altering the attachment of bacteria onto soil surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses were performed on soil samples equilibrated with synthetic storm water amended with copper, lead, and zinc to determine changes in the elemental content of soil. Sets of batch sorption experiments of